This is Willebrord Snell, His a well known mathmatician and astronomer. He is best known for though is regarding the refraction of light rays. The refraction of light rays is this discovery, known as Snell's law, it demonstrates that when a ray of light passes from a thinner element such as air, into a denser element, such as water or glass, the angle of the ray bends to the vertical. Mr. Snell was also a profesor at Leiden University were he was a teacher for mathmatics. Willebrords father was a great influence on his life and how he became to be a great physicists.[1]
Insight and Influences
image courtesy of ancient greece: optics
Mr. Snell was born in Leiden, Netherlands year 1580; he died October 30th, 1626. He had lived a short forty-seven years. His father was a mathematics professor at Leiden University, where Willebrord alter went for schooling. He didn’t attend Leiden for mathematics, but he attended it to study law.[2] While studying law he still kept a very large interest for mathematics and how it worked. In some of his early years at the University they had allowed Mr. Snell to make special mathematical lectures.
Willebrord's father was a great influence on his son with becoming a physicist, with him being a professor at a well-known college as a math teacher there would be some hope most likely of his son following in his foot steps in some way. Though he probably did not ever think for his son to succeed him in his work and to get farther.[3]
Some of his discoveries were calculating the value of pi via van Cullen’s method and also became a mathematics professor later at the University of Leiden. Snell also published books on his theories and work, some of the books where about astronomy and the reconstructing Apollonius. One of the discoveries that Willebrord had made were the refractions of light rays, the refraction of light rays are when a ray of light passes through light and then light into water. He came up with this theory in 1621 which in this time he discovered the formula to explain his theory.[4]
Major Contrubutioins
image courtesy of refracion of light
Snell found the charaistic ratio between the angle of incidence and the angle of refraction. This shows that all substances have a bending ratio, Snell discovered this in 1621. The formula for this is:
Ni * Sin(Ai) = Nr * Sin(Ar),
where:
Ni is the refractive index of the medium the light is leaving,
Ai is the incident angle between the light ray and the normal to the meduim to medium interface,
Nr is the refractive index of the medium the light is entering,
Ar is the refractive angle between the light ray and the normal to the meduim to medium interface
For an example when your cleaning a pool, you put the pole in the water with a net on it. When you look in the water at the net it looks like it is bending even though it is not. This would be a simple way of explaning what he means by bending ratio.[6]
In 1617, Snell published a book called "Eratosthenes Batavus", which explained his methodology for measuring the earth by triangulation. Snell also published other books, including his studies on comets. In 1624, he published "Tiphys Batavus" on navigational theories. Willebrord also improved the method of calculating approximate values of ¶ (pi) by polygons. His method of using 96 sided polygons gave the correct value of ¶ (pi) up to seven places while the classical method only gave two correct places. Although Snell discovered the law of refraction, he didn't publish it. He discovered this in 1621 but in 1703 did it become known when "Huygens" published his results in "Dioptrica".[5] His biggest contribution to science is the law of refraction, even though it wasn't published until seventy years after he died. He found that a beam of light would bend as it enters a block of glass, and that the angle of bending would depend on the angle of the light beam. Light traveling perpendicular to the glass will not bend if the light travels at an angle into the glass it will bend to a degree proportional to the angle of inclination.[4]
Affect and Effect
The people that affected Willebrord Snell the most I think would be his father, from what I have read his father was the biggest influence on him. His father being a mathematic professor at the University of Leiden, which led him to become a professor as well after his father passed on. Mr. Snell encouraged his son to do more in his work and discover the law of refraction and be able to solve and come up with a solution for it. However, Willebrord Snell did not know that in the later years after his death, his discovery would come become very useful.[8] Willebrord's research and discovery along with others led to the discovery of the visible light spectrum and later to the development of lasers. The path of a laser through a medium is predicted by Snell's equation. Lasers are used everyday from eye surgery to CD players and the technology keeps growing.[7]
Legacy
Willibrord is well known for his discovery of the refraction of light rays. The refraction of light is also known as Snell law. Snell law is when a light ray passes through a thinner object like air, and then through a denser object such as glass or water, then the angle of the ray bends to the vertical. A example of this would be when you put a stick in a glass of water or pool the stick looks like it is bending, but its not. Mr. Snell was also a mathematics professor at Leiden University were he succeed his father.[1]
Table of Contents
Willebrord Snell
This is Willebrord Snell, His a well known mathmatician and astronomer. He is best known for though is regarding the refraction of light rays. The refraction of light rays is this discovery, known as Snell's law, it demonstrates that when a ray of light passes from a thinner element such as air, into a denser element, such as water or glass, the angle of the ray bends to the vertical. Mr. Snell was also a profesor at Leiden University were he was a teacher for mathmatics. Willebrords father was a great influence on his life and how he became to be a great physicists.[1]
Insight and Influences
Willebrord's father was a great influence on his son with becoming a physicist, with him being a professor at a well-known college as a math teacher there would be some hope most likely of his son following in his foot steps in some way. Though he probably did not ever think for his son to succeed him in his work and to get farther.[3]
Some of his discoveries were calculating the value of pi via van Cullen’s method and also became a mathematics professor later at the University of Leiden. Snell also published books on his theories and work, some of the books where about astronomy and the reconstructing Apollonius. One of the discoveries that Willebrord had made were the refractions of light rays, the refraction of light rays are when a ray of light passes through light and then light into water. He came up with this theory in 1621 which in this time he discovered the formula to explain his theory.[4]
Major Contrubutioins
Snell found the charaistic ratio between the angle of incidence and the angle of refraction. This shows that all substances have a bending ratio, Snell discovered this in 1621. The formula for this is:
Ni * Sin(Ai) = Nr * Sin(Ar),
where:
Ni is the refractive index of the medium the light is leaving,
Ai is the incident angle between the light ray and the normal to the meduim to medium interface,
Nr is the refractive index of the medium the light is entering,
Ar is the refractive angle between the light ray and the normal to the meduim to medium interface
For an example when your cleaning a pool, you put the pole in the water with a net on it. When you look in the water at the net it looks like it is bending even though it is not. This would be a simple way of explaning what he means by bending ratio.[6]
In 1617, Snell published a book called "Eratosthenes Batavus", which explained his methodology for measuring the earth by triangulation. Snell also published other books, including his studies on comets. In 1624, he published "Tiphys Batavus" on navigational theories. Willebrord also improved the method of calculating approximate values of ¶ (pi) by polygons. His method of using 96 sided polygons gave the correct value of ¶ (pi) up to seven places while the classical method only gave two correct places. Although Snell discovered the law of refraction, he didn't publish it. He discovered this in 1621 but in 1703 did it become known when "Huygens" published his results in "Dioptrica".[5] His biggest contribution to science is the law of refraction, even though it wasn't published until seventy years after he died. He found that a beam of light would bend as it enters a block of glass, and that the angle of bending would depend on the angle of the light beam. Light traveling perpendicular to the glass will not bend if the light travels at an angle into the glass it will bend to a degree proportional to the angle of inclination.[4]
Affect and Effect
The people that affected Willebrord Snell the most I think would be his father, from what I have read his father was the biggest influence on him. His father being a mathematic professor at the University of Leiden, which led him to become a professor as well after his father passed on. Mr. Snell encouraged his son to do more in his work and discover the law of refraction and be able to solve and come up with a solution for it. However, Willebrord Snell did not know that in the later years after his death, his discovery would come become very useful.[8] Willebrord's research and discovery along with others led to the discovery of the visible light spectrum and later to the development of lasers. The path of a laser through a medium is predicted by Snell's equation. Lasers are used everyday from eye surgery to CD players and the technology keeps growing.[7]
Legacy
Willibrord is well known for his discovery of the refraction of light rays. The refraction of light is also known as Snell law. Snell law is when a light ray passes through a thinner object like air, and then through a denser object such as glass or water, then the angle of the ray bends to the vertical. A example of this would be when you put a stick in a glass of water or pool the stick looks like it is bending, but its not. Mr. Snell was also a mathematics professor at Leiden University were he succeed his father.[1]
Refrences
1. Willebrord Snell Biography | World of Mathematics Biography
2. The Galileo Project
3. Willebrod Snell
4. snell
5. Molecular Expressions Microscopy Primer: Light and Color
6. Refraction - Snell's Law
7. Laser Refraction 2
8. Laser Refraction
9. http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/images/Snellius.jpg